Diploma equivalence Tunisia documents: the MESRS guide and recognition abroad

Two different procedures: equivalence in Tunisia and recognition abroad

People who search for diploma equivalence Tunisia documents are usually after one of two things, and it helps to separate them from the start.

The first is the Tunisian equivalence. It is issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS) and covers degrees obtained at a foreign university or at a private higher education institution in Tunisia. The ministry defines it as matching a degree with the degrees of the Tunisian system, looking in particular at admission requirements, the number of years of study, programme content and assessment methods.

The second is the recognition of your Tunisian degree in the country where you want to study or work. MESRS does not handle this. A body in the host country does: ENIC-NARIC France, the ZAB in Germany, CIMEA in Italy, or the ENIC-NARIC centre of another country.

This guide does not replace the official pages: document lists and fees change, and only the bodies cited here are authoritative.

Source: MESRS Tunisie – Équivalences : définition et bases légales · checked 23 Oct 2026

Who needs to apply to MESRS for an equivalence?

According to the ministry, equivalence applies to degrees and titles awarded by foreign university institutions and to those awarded by private higher education institutions in Tunisia.

The legal framework rests mainly on:

• Decree No. 96-519 of 25 March 1996 on the equivalence of degrees and titles;
• the order of 28 March 2002, amending and supplementing the order of 15 August 1996 that sets equivalence criteria;
• the order of 10 October 2023 setting the criteria on which equivalence is granted.

Article 2 of the 2023 order lists, among others: a baccalaureate or a qualification giving access to higher education in the awarding country; an institution and a degree recognised in that country; a degree of a university nature; exams taken in person; a degree and specialty that exist in the Tunisian system; a programme not designed specifically for foreign students; and a degree authenticated by the competent authorities of the awarding country. The committees can also require additional training.

Before you enrol at a foreign university, especially in medical or paramedical fields, the ministry asks you (notice of 15 September 2020) to contact the Directorate of Private Higher Education and Equivalences to learn the equivalence conditions.

Foreign nationals married to a Tunisian, or born to a Tunisian father or mother, can also obtain an equivalence, with extra documents (ID card of the Tunisian spouse or parent, residence card in Tunisia, marriage contract authenticated by the Tunisian authorities, birth certificate).

Source: MESRS Tunisie – Procédure d'obtention de l'équivalence et pièces demandées · checked 23 Oct 2026

Diploma equivalence Tunisia documents: the MESRS checklist

The ministry page, checked on 23 October 2026, lists the following documents.

For every file:

• a copy of the national ID card (or the guardian's card for a minor);
• two stamped envelopes showing the applicant's address and postcode.

For a university degree, add:

• certified copies of the baccalaureate and of every degree obtained, in the normal order of study, legalised by both the Tunisian and the foreign authorities;
• certified copies of transcripts, exam results and credit counts, plus any document that helps the committee;
• a copy of the dissertation, internship report, final-year project or thesis (master's, engineering, architecture, doctorate);
• proof that the exams for the degree were taken in person;
• for earlier graduates in medical specialties and architecture, a record of the service performed since graduation.

For a foreign baccalaureate, you also need legalised certified copies of the secondary school leaving certificate and of the lower and upper secondary school certificates (or the school file), plus proof of continuous residence with the parents or guardian in the awarding country for the two years before the certificate. The university habilitation follows a separate list.

Key rules:

• the committee only reviews complete files;
• the originals of all documents must be shown when you submit;
• any document in a language other than Arabic, French or English must be translated into Arabic or French by a sworn translator;
• the foreign degree must be authenticated by the competent ministry or university of the awarding country;
• certified copies are made by municipal offices or by Tunisian missions abroad (embassy, consulate).

How to submit: according to a ministry notice, since 1 August 2023 you first fill in the online form on the www.equivalence.rnu.tn portal, print it and add it to your file, then send the file only by registered post to the Directorate of Private Higher Education and Equivalences (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Avenue Ouled Haffouz, 1030 Tunis), stating your first name and surname, the type of degree and the specialty. You can then follow the review of your file on the portal.

How originals are shown when the file goes by post is not explained (to be confirmed with the ministry). Any processing fee is not stated (to be confirmed).

Source: MESRS Tunisie – Procédure d'obtention de l'équivalence et pièces demandées · checked 23 Oct 2026

Equivalence refused: review and appeal

If your request is refused, MESRS provides two levels.

Review: you send a written request to the chair of the relevant sectoral equivalence committee, attaching the new document or documents that justify a fresh look. The request is filed at the ministry's central registry office.

Appeal: if the review is still negative, you can challenge the decision before the national equivalence committee, through a written and reasoned request addressed to the Minister of Higher Education, who chairs that committee. Attach new documents if you have any.

The page does not state any time limit for these steps (to be confirmed with the ministry).

Source: MESRS Tunisie – Procédure de révision et de recours · checked 23 Oct 2026

France: the ENIC-NARIC statement of comparability

In France, the ENIC-NARIC France centre issues a statement of comparability (attestation de comparabilité). It places your Tunisian degree against the levels of the French system. According to Service-Public.gouv.fr (page checked on 17 April 2025), this statement has no legal value and is not mandatory: the receiving institution, for studies, or the employer, for a non-regulated job, makes its own decision.

The procedure is open whatever your nationality. It is online only and in French:

• pre-registration, then an email with your file number within 24 hours;
• admissibility check of the file: EUR 20;
• full assessment if the file is admissible: EUR 100.

These are the amounts shown on Service-Public.gouv.fr in October 2026, EUR 120 in total. The centre must reply no later than 4 months after payment, and the statement is sent by email as a PDF. Asylum seekers and refugees do not pay. The admissibility decision can be challenged in writing within 2 months of being notified.

Good to know:

• only a degree recognised by the awarding country can receive a statement; for a degree from a Tunisian private institution, check its status with MESRS first;
• degrees that lead to a regulated profession (doctor or architect, for example) are not covered: the procedure depends on the profession, and Service-Public refers you to the ENIC-NARIC France centre for information;
• according to the official instructions, documents are uploaded online only (legible colour scans, one file per document, 2 MB maximum), and the list of documents appears in a table during the application. Translation rules are not given there (to be confirmed when you apply).

Source: Service-Public.gouv.fr – Faire reconnaître en France un diplôme obtenu à l'étranger · checked 23 Oct 2026

Germany: anabin first, then the ZAB Zeugnisbewertung

In Germany, start with the anabin database, run by the ZAB within the Standing Conference of Education Ministers (KMK). It gives each institution a status:

• H+: a state or state-recognised institution whose degrees can in principle be recognised;
• H+/-: extra criteria apply depending on the country;
• H-: click the status in the database to read what it means.

anabin is not complete. If your institution or degree is missing, searching by degree type gives only a first indication. According to the official Make it in Germany portal (guide dated July 2025), anabin printouts for the institution (H+) and the degree (rated "entspricht" or "gleichwertig") can together serve as proof for a visa; otherwise a Zeugnisbewertung is needed.

The ZAB Zeugnisbewertung (statement of comparability) places your degree within the German system. It is used for a visa or an EU Blue Card, and many employers ask for it. It does not grant admission to study or the right to practise a regulated profession.

You apply online through an account on the ZAB website linked to a BundID account. The online pre-check (Vorab-Check) gives the document list and says whether a translation is needed; a plain scan is usually enough, with no certified copy or apostille. The fee shown in October 2026 is EUR 208 (fee schedule last changed in June 2024), and EUR 104 for a replacement copy. Payment is normally due within 3 weeks. Processing, which starts only once all documents and the full fee are received, takes 3 months, 2 months under the accelerated skilled-worker procedure and 2 weeks for an EU Blue Card. If the statement cannot be issued (for example, the institution or programme was not recognised when you graduated), the ZAB keeps up to 50% of the fee.

Source: ZAB (KMK) – Zeugnisbewertung für ausländische Hochschulqualifikationen · checked 23 Oct 2026

Italy and other countries: CIMEA and the ENIC-NARIC network

In Italy, CIMEA issues two documents through its CIMEA-Diplome platform:

• the Statement of Comparability, which places the degree level against the Bologna cycles and the European Qualifications Framework;
• the Statement of Verification, which confirms that a degree was actually awarded by an official body.

CIMEA states that these statements do not bind universities or other institutions, which keep their own recognition procedures. It advises checking first with the Italian university you are interested in whether they are needed. The verification service may be limited to some countries: check on CIMEA-Diplome that it covers Tunisia (to be confirmed). Fees and processing times are shown on the platform (to be confirmed).

For other countries, the official ENIC-NARIC networks portal lists the member national centres, and Tunisia is not among them. For a Tunisian degree, contact the centre of the country where you want to study or work (Spain, Belgium or Canada, for example), which applies its own rules. The portal also warns that some third parties falsely present themselves as ENIC-NARIC centres, so use official websites only.

Source: CIMEA – Statements of Comparability and Verification · checked 23 Oct 2026

Practical tips before you apply

• Build one core file once: degrees, transcripts for every year, diploma supplement if you have one, dissertation or internship report.
• Have your Tunisian degrees authenticated before you leave. Since 17 March 2025, for a public institution, this is done at the presidency of the university concerned (or the Directorate-General of Technological Studies for ISETs), on presentation of the originals and a 5-dinar revenue stamp per document (MESRS notice of 12 March 2025).
• Keep legible colour scans of every original: the French and German procedures are online.
• Plan for sworn translations when a body requires them, and check which languages it accepts.
• Allow for processing times: up to 4 months after payment for ENIC-NARIC France, 3 months for a standard ZAB application. Start before your applications for the 2027 intake.
• Be wary of paid intermediaries: all these procedures are done directly with the official bodies.

Opporiva is a free information service. We never submit a request on your behalf and we cannot guarantee the outcome of any equivalence or recognition.

Source: MESRS Tunisie – Avis du 12/03/2025 : authentification des diplômes destinés à l'étranger · checked 23 Oct 2026